(Day 0 Lesson 2) What Guitar Accessories Do You Need?
Now that we have finally started warming up our fingers with the 7 cool exercises, it might be a good idea to get some information on what all we will need to purchase before we get down to playing the guitar.
What all do we need to purchase for this course?
Of course the first thing that we will need is the Guitar itself. However, since there are a whole lot of different kinds of guitars available in the market, we will dedicate a complete article/ guide on how to purchase the right guitar for yourself, next. As of now, let’s focus on the other smaller accessories that you will need in order to complete this course successfully.
Kindly note that as a musician, I enjoy staying prepared at all times and so carry all the accessories in my guitar bag whenever I travel (which is something that I would recommend to you too). That being said, there might be some accessories that you need not purchase as there will be alternates available which might not need you to buy anything. I will call them out separately so that you may make the best decision for yourself.
Also the amazon links for all of these items (my preference + cheapest budget option available) will be included in this article for you to save time searching for them yourself. Feel free to click and purchase.
CLICK HERE to view all these accessories.
1. Guitar picks (also called Plectrum/ Plecs) – These are the plastic pieces that you hold in your right hand to strum the strings.
Picks can be of different material – plastic and nylon being the most popular but these days picks make of wood, bamboo and even metal are available too.
Besides material, picks are differentiated by their thickness which is measured in mm.
For beginners, I would recommend soft guitar picks made with plastic/ nylon of thickness in the 0.38/0.46 mm range only. For others, the 0.71mm pick is the only one they will need.
Also guitar pick is the one product that you will definitely lose multiple times so it might make sense to buy a whole lot of them.
0.38 mm
0.46 mm
0.71 mm
Assorted picks of all sizes
2. Guitar Tuner – The next most important accessory for a beginner will be the Guitar Tuner which, as the name suggests, this is a device that is used to ensure that your guitar is in tune. Believe me, nothing is more demotivating to any budding musician that an untuned instrument so do invest in a good tuner.
Tuners can be either external devices or they can also be integrated in the guitar itself. Electro – Acoustic Guitars (which we will read about in the next article) have built in tuners that are operated with a battery.
For the external devices, we have 2 kinds of tuners that are popularly used. The first would be an external tuner device that is clipped on to your guitar at the head. The second option is to use apps (android/ IOS) called guitar tuners which is a great option for those who do not wish to purchase a tuner. Do note that the apps might have some troubles tuning when you are outside and there is a lot of disturbance which is why I prefer to buy a separate tuner (very cheap too).
3. Metronome – This is a device which gives you a constant click/ beat which can be sped up or slowed down and is an extremely important practice tool.
Metronomes can be either analog or digital, with the latter being favourable as the analog ones have constraints on the speed.
Digital metronomes can be either purchased as a device or just like the tuners, you can download apps (android/ IOS) called metronome.
4. String Winder and Cutter – This tool is used only when you are changing the strings on the guitar. Again, a great investment if you do not want to have to go to a music store everytime you need to change the strings.
5. Extra set of strings – Very important to purchase. The thin strings in your guitar will witness maximum breakage so it’s crucial to keep their extra pieces should you not wish to purchase the entire set. But one full extra set is a good practice.
Strings can be of different kinds as well. Depending on material, they will either be made of nylon or steel (which also depends on the guitar being used, and we will discuss this in the next lesson). The steel strings can further be classified depending on their thickness (also called gauge).
For beginners, I recommend extra-light strings (also called gauge 10) or light strings (gauge 11) strings. Not only are they easier to play, but also hurt your fingers a lot lesser.
EXTRA LIGHT
Option 1
Option 2 (Budget)
LIGHT
Option 1
Option 2 (Budget)
6. Guitar Strap – This can be avoided in the beginning but is a useful tool when you are out on stage and performing, which you will be in a month for now 🙂
Straps can be of different material with canvas and lether being the popular ones but you have some with cloth and nylon too.
Option 1 (My Strap)
Option 2 (Budget leather)
Option 3 (Budget canvas)
7. Guitar Capo – Another accessory which is used to raise or lower the pitch while playing. Can be of different types too which are with a trigger spring (most popular), bolt capos, thread string capos or spider capos. While all capos lock all the strings together, the spider capo can be used to selectively lock certain strings only.
My recommendation is to definitely buy a trigger spring capo.
8. Notepad and pens – Use these to write down all the exercises and take notes if you are into all that. Else feel free to refer the website whenever you need to revise the lessons 🙂
See you in the shed!
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